Former Indian cricketer Javagal Srinath may not be playing the game any more. But retirement from the sport has not led the fast bowler to forget his love for it. Not only is he the Karnataka State Cricket Association secretary but also an ICC match referee.
“There’ll be odd games every now and then for my club. But with serious cricket, I’ve passed my days. It’s time for the youngsters to take over,” he says. “It takes time but you adjust to not playing. The game is proportional to one’s age. No place is permanent for anyone. You go on a hit-and-run and let somebody else take your place,” adds Srinath.
What he strongly wants to promote in the country is children building a sporting dimension. “It doesn’t matter what you play but play an outdoor sport, be it cricket, football, hockey or tennis,” advises Srinath. “Life skills are learnt in a hard way. Sports give you a shortcut to learning them — you win, you lose, you share, you enjoy somebody’s else’s success and try to digest others’ losses. I feel that from a young age, the values imbibed while playing a sport is terrific,” he adds.
He admits that there are limitations to this goal but feels that it can be done. “We want parents to encourage their kids to play outdoor sports. Space is a concern but authorities like us are trying to address that,” he notes.
Despite not being active on the field anymore, he still strives to stay fit. “To eat less is the first step. I heard somewhere that starving is also a form of yoga. That’s something I need to follow more,” shares Srinath, adding, “my metabolism has come down compared to my playing days. So I have to keep up my fitness regimen. I run for an hour at least two to three days a week. I’m trying to keep in shape. I know round is also a shape but you have to be lean. I do my best but that’s where I find myself slacking and I need to work more on that.”
Bangalore for him is nothing short of fabulous. “There’s no place better than Bangalore. I put Mysore on top of Bangalore since I’m from there. But my home is Bangalore and there’s no place like home, is there?” he wraps up.